Thursday 22 October 2015

Sportsgirl Nail It! Plain Jane

As far as I'm aware, Sportsgirl is mainly a fashion focused brand but they've branched out in to beauty. At first glance I wasn't overly impressed by the range, but a browse and a swatch later I'd ended up with six of their Nail It! varnishes in my basket. They were around $9 each and after wearing it the last week I'm so impressed I even debated going in to town to buy back ups. For a start, they apply easily, with an opaque colour in just one coat, they dry pretty quickly and after a week of wear I have 7 nails unchipped or marked which is unheard of for me, especially because I'm doing a lot of physical work recently. In particular I've fallen for the shade ' Plain Jane' which looks almost like a baby blue in the photo, but it's a light grey with a hint of blue. The range of shades isn't huge, I think the store I visited had about 12 colours, but along with nail paints, I also discovered their bronze body shimmer and their jewellery which is all very cool and inexpensive and doesn't leave you with discoloured fingers like some brands.
 

Saturday 17 October 2015

Loving Tan Ultra Dark Mousse

If you follow my Instagram (lisamichellexx) or my blog reguarly, you'll know that I recently quit my job, applied for a working holiday visa and ended up in Australia. While I'm here, it would be rude not to see what this beautiful place has to offer in the beauty department. If you haven't heard of Loving Tan before, they've an Australian based self tanning company that ship worldwide. I'd had my eye on the brand for a while, so when they offered to send me their Ultra Dark Mousse to trial along with their Deluxe Self Tanning Applicator Mitt and Skin Polishing Glove, I couldn't really say no. Who would know how to recreate a bronzed glow better then bronzed Aussie babes that also want to protect their skin at the same time?
First Impressions:
The packaging is girly and chic, a little easier on the eye then the basic packaging most other brands opt for. I love the branding of Loving Tan, along with the name and the range of products I've browsed on their website. They seem to have all bases covered, whether you're after a light tint, wash off body make up or an ultra deep olive tan. Their tanning products are salon inspired and claim to combine a self tanner with a moisturiser in one, whilst also being fast drying and deep in colour. The Ultra Dark is recommended for experianced tanners and having been 'body bronzing' for 6 years, this is the shade I opted for. The base colour is a deep brown with a red undertone and as I applied it I noticed how easily it blended in, how light the scent was and how deep the colour looked. Not to fear though, once applied the colour seems to settle in slightly and looks like you've had a few days on a beach in the sunshine, it then continues to develop and (if you're a regular self tanner, you'll know what I mean) its completely satisfying to see your skin tone deepen to a deep, olive shade. The test is always the next day though, when you wash off the colour guide, and I was not disappointed when I was still left with a realistic, dark tan. I also had my boyfriends mum and nan comment on how much nicer and natural it looked compared to my previous tanning products, even though it was darker!
I've used it three times now since then and each time I've been so happy with the result I've achieved, it dries quickly, it doesn't leave you feeling tacky and it lasts a full week on my skin which impressed me hugely as I'd never been able to maintain a tan for that long before! Considering I'm hugely lazy with moisturising my skin in the days after, all I can assume this is down to is the Skin Polishing Glove and the product itself. To prep my skin, I simply have a long soak in the bath, then exfoliate my skin, apply an oil free moisturiser on any dry areas then apply the self tanning mousse in circular motions, all over my body. Simple as that.
 At $39.95, it works out at £32.35 with the cost of shipping to get it delivered to the UK, or if you're in Australia shipping will cost you $9.95. If you're interested in seeing more before and after photos, search for 'lovingtanofficial' on Instagram or Loving Tan on Youtube and you'll be blown away by the amount of people that rave about it!
Here's some photos of me wearing the Ultra Dark Self Tanning Mousse. 

Friday 21 August 2015

I made it to AUSTRALIA!

  After weeks of nervously planning to make the move to Australia - from quitting my long term job, applying for a working holiday visa (with the help of my boyfriend Adam and friend Jasper, as I was clueless!), selling my car and possesions and save money, while saying goodbye to all of my loves from home, it was finally time to leave England, to make the long journey to Australia. My lovely friend Charlotte drove us to the airport, we flew from London to Singapore, Singapore to Brisbane, then got picked up by my boyfriends parents and driven to Byron Bay.
Everything is so new to me! I can't believe that a 10 minute walk from my boyfriends parents home, is a beach with white sand, blue seas and such beautiful views and I couldn't resist quickly posting some quick snaps to share what I've experienced today. Adam is loving me showing me around Byron and I have plans to buy a bicycle ASAP so we can go on cute bike rides together and enjoy the laid back lifestyle here!

 

Tuesday 4 August 2015

BLOG SALE // BEAUTY PRODUCTS. PART 2.

UK ONLY
PAYPAL PAYMENT, POSTAGE IS £3.20 - I CAN COMBINE POSTAGE FOR MULTIPLE ITEMS.
COMMENT BELOW / TWEET ME @ GOLDENGLOWW
 FIRST COME FIRST SERVE.
EMAIL ME - GoldenGlowBlog@hotmail.com
 ALL PRODUCTS WILL BE SANITISED BEFORE BEING SENT.

Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base - 04 Apricot, never used. £12.50
Clinique Repairwear Laser Focus Foundation, Shade 03, never used. £11.50 * NOW £10
Estee Lauder Double Wear Maximum Cover Foundation, 05 Creamy Tan, 70% left. £7.50
Givenchy Photo Perfection Foundation, 5 Perfect Praline, 65% left. £12.50 * NOW £10
Stila Stay All Day Foundation and Concealer, 5 Hue, 70% left. £11.50 * NOW £10
Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 Hour, 035, used once. £13.50
Diorskin Nude Tan, BB Creme, 001, never used. £12.50 * NOW £11
Dior Nude Foundation, 021, 60% left. £8.50
Clarins Ever Matte Foundation, 110 Honey, used once. £8.50 * NOW £7.50
Laura Mercier Signature Foundation, 03 Nude, used once. £7 * NOW £5.50
Bourjois 10 Hour Sleep Foundation, 72, used once. £2
Urban Decay Naked Skin Foundation, 5.0, 50% left, with lid. £6 * NOW £5
Mac Select Moisture Cover Concealer, NC20, never used. £6
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation, 53, used once. £2
Bourjois BB Bronzing Balm, used once. £2 *NOW £1.50
Loreal True Match Concealer, Sand, used once. £1.50
Nars Turkish Delight Lipgloss, used only a few times. £7
Bare Minerals Pretty Amazing Lip Cream, Free Will, used twice. £6.50 * NOW £5
Benefit Majorette Blush, swatched once. £10.50 * NOW £9
Mac Style Blush, usage shown. £7 * NOW £6.50
Philosophy BB Cream, 02 medium, never used. £8.50 * NOW £6.50
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solution Foundation, Fresh Vanilla, never used - in box. £15
Clarins True Radiance Foundation,  112, Amber. £12.50
Clinique SkinCare, together, never used. £10
Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream, used once. £7 * NOW £6.50
Nuxe Soothing Face Mask, 70% left. £5
Body Shop BB Cream, 03, never used. £4
Mischa Perfect Cover BB Cream, never used. £4 * NOW £3.50
Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzing Powder, 02 Medium. Used twice. £13.50 * NOW £12
Make Up Store Eyeshadow, Diva. Barely used. £2.50
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer, 3, barely used. £6 * NOW £5.50
Becca Beach Tint - never used, in box. Lychee/Opal. £10
Nars Multiple - now discontinued and unavailable, Palm Beach, 90% left. £17.50 * NOW £13.50
Clarins Cream Eyeshadow, 03 Aquatic Grey, never used. £7 * NOW £6.50
 Smashbox Cream Eyeshadow, Icon, never used in box. £7
Clinique Chubby Stick Eyeshadow in Fudge, barely used. £7 * NOW £6.50
Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder, Bronze, barely used. £15 * NOW £13.50
 Mac Constructivist Paint Pot, barely used. £7
Chanel Loose Powder, used once, still in box, 20 Clair. £17 * NOW £16.50
Make Up Forever Mat Velvet+, shade 40, never used in box. £14 * NOW £12.50
Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick, barely used, in box - shade warm beige 3.5. £14.50 * NOW £12.50
Make Up Forever Aqua Brow, shade 15, 50% left. £4.50
Mac Paint Pot 'Mooncake' never used. £6
Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow, Bone, 90% left. £6.50
Nars Gaiety Blush, never used. £13.50
Nuxe Multi Purpose Dry Oil, 80% left. £7.50
Liz Earle Deep Cleansing Mask - 80% left. £6 * NOW £5
Illamasqua Cream Highlighter in shade 'Gleam' - usage shown, 95% left. £8.50 * NOW £8
The Balm Bronzer, usage shown. £7
The Body Shop Bronzing Powder, 03, usage shown. £6.50 * NOW £6
Stila Convertible Color, Gerbera. Never used. £7
Nars Cream Eyeshadow in 'El Dorado' usage shown, 90% left. £7.50 * NOW £6.50
Laura Mercier Brow Definier, Fair, 80% left. £6.50 * NOW £5.50
Mac Cream Colour Base in Pink Shock, never used still in box. £8
Nars Eyeliner Pencil in Rue Bonaparte, 90% left. £7 * NOW £6
Inglot Eyeshadow Pigment in '37', used once. with Duraline adhesive. £8.50
Nars Radiant Cream Compact Foundation, shade Santa Fe, 80% left. £16.50 * NOW £12.50
Dior mini blush, never used - Coral Cruise. £3.50
Nars Cream Blush in 'Penny Lane' usage shown, 80% left. £10 * NOW £8.75
The Body Shop Honey Bronze Dry Oil, never used. £6.50 * NOW £6
Dior Addict Lipstick, 457 Candice, 90% left. £11
Mac Full Coverage Foundation, NC20, used twice, still with box. £14.50 * NOW £13
Clarins Lipgloss, Coral Tulip, used twice. £7 * NOW £6.50
YSL Liquid Lipstick, 18, barely used. £9 * NOW £8.50
Illamsaqua Lipstick in 'Liv' 85% left. £8.50 * NOW £7
Chanel Rouge Coco Shine Lipstick in '68' Candeur. SOLD.
Mac Skin Refined Zone Treatment, used once. £8 * NOW £7
Cargo Blush in ''Catalina", barely used. £7.50 * NOW £6
Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow, barely used. £8
Clarins Cream Blush in '01 - peach' barely used. £6.50 * NOW £6
Clarins Lip Balm in 'Sweet Cherry' 85% left. £5.50
Stila Liquid Lipstick in 'aria' - barely used. £7
Becca Ever Matte Poreless Primer, 80% left. £10
Korres Wild Rose Foundation, WRF2, 95% left. £5
Mario Bedescue, Silver Powder, 90% left. £4.50
Illamasqua Sculpting Duo 'Lumos & Heliopolis' 85% left of each shade. £12 * NOW £11
Hourglass Illume 'Bronze Light', usage shown, 85% left of each shade. £22.50 * NOW £18.50
Mac Lip Erase, Dim, 70% left. £3.50
Mac Prep & Prime Eye, Medium, barely used. £6
Nars Matte Lipstick, Madere, 80% left. £8
Too Faced Lipstick, 'Naked Dolly' caught slightly in the lid, 80% left. £8.50 * NOW £8
Mac Eye Pencil 'Powersurge' 90% left. £5
Benefit Mini Cream Eyeshadow, 'Birthday Suit' 90% left. £3
Mac Cream Blush in 'So Sweet So Easy' 75% left. £7.50 * NOW £7
Mac Powder Blush, Rosy Outlook, used once. £10 * NOW £9
Estee Lauder Double Wear Powder 'SAND', without powder puff, 70% left. £9.50
YSL Youth Liberator Foundation, 'B30', used once. £19.50 * NOW £16
Benefit Watts Up Cream Highlighter, 90% left. £12 * NOW £11.50
Pink Tweezerman tweezers, perfectly fine, lost so I repurchased more. £7
Clarins Lipstick, in shade 'Tropical Pink' 70% left. £6
Soap & Glory Glow All Out Highlighting Powder, barely used. £5
Illamasqua Eyeshadow Quad in 'Neutral Palette' barely used. £18.50 * NOW £16.50
The Balm Sexy Mama Mattifying Powder, barely used. £9 * NOW £7.50
Clarins Eyeshadow Single in 'Smoky Plum' barely used. £5
Estee Lauder Perfecting Loose Powder, in packaging, barely used. £17.50
Dior Star Foundation -  031, used once. £15 * NOW £14
Giorgio Armarni Lasting Silk Foundation, 5.5, 50% left. £9.50
YSL Le Teint Touche Eclait Foundation, B40 - 50% left. £9 * NOW £8.50
Soap & Glory CC Superfluid in Nude Peach, used once. £3
Mac Powder Blush in 'Harmony' 70% left. £7
Nars Highlighting Powder, 'Albatross', 90% left. £11
Mac Pro Sculpting Cream, 'Pure Sculpture' in box never used. £9.50
Mac Fluidline Brow GelCreme, 'Dirty Blonde' never used, in box. £8.50 * NOW £8
Benefit, Boi-ing Concealer, '03' 90% left. £7 * NOW £6.50
Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting '02 champagne' - 90% left. £8.50
YSL Teint Resist Foundation, '5' - 90% left. £14.50 * NOW £12.50
Kiko Universal Fit Foundation, '07' never used. £2.50
Benefit Big Easy BB Cream ' 04 Medium' 90% left. £12.50 * NOW £10
Clarins Face & Blush Powder 'Opalescene' 90% left. £12.50 * NOW £10.50
Clarins Extra Comfort Foundation '110 Honey', 90% left. £14.50 * NOW £11.50
Mac Lipstick, in box, 'Plink!' used once. £6
Too Faced Plumping Lip Crayon, 90% left. £6 * NOW £5
Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfector '03' used once. £6
Estee Lauder Blush Ombre in 'Witty Peach' - as shown usage. £13.50
Ren Glycolactic Mask, 85% left. £10
Benefit HighBrow '85% left'. £4.50
Clarins Skin Illusion Powder Foundation '110 wheat' 90% left. £9.50 * NOW £9
Mac Lip Liner in 'Soar' 90% left, has been sharpened. £5
Mac Skin Base Visage Sample. £1.50
Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer ''1W LIGHT' usage shown, will be sanitised. £8.50 * NOW £7
Clarins Ombre Cream Eyeshadow - 01 Aquatic Rose, 95% left. £6
Laura Mercier Secret Camoflauge Powder - 90% left. £8.50
Kat Von D Tattoo Concealer, comparable to NC25. 70% left. £4.50 
Celeb Boutique Ball Gown, RRP£129, size s (8-10), worn once to a Masquerade Ball, I had the dress dry cleaned after this photo was taken so it's PRISTINE, beautiful material, lovely fit - £75
Topshop Tuille Skirt, size 10, RRP £55 still with tags, never worn out, non smoker.
£27.50, INCLUDING POSTAGE.

I also have two Pandora rings, both very well looked after for sale, tweet or email me for a photo and information on the sizes, along with clothing which I'll be listing in the next few days!

Wednesday 27 May 2015

Bronzed, Beach Babe Make Up // Photoshoot.

  After several weeks of persuasion I managed to convince my friend Tash in to doing a photo shoot for me so I could experiment with her hair and makeup. I went with a bronze, deep smokey eye, contoured cheeks and nude lips to bring out the colour of her eyes and face shape. For the hair we went with big curls that were tousled to look effortless and beachy.
 
Products Used:
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation in Soft Beige
Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 'Cafe 30'
Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer in 'True Ivory'
Make Up Revolution Pro Fixing Spray
Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Kit
Collection All About Eyes Little Mix Palette
Topshop Kohl Eyeliner Pencil in Sable
Topshop Doll Eyed Mascara
Collection Moisture Lipstick in 'Apple Blossom'
Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil in 'Hot Chocolate'
 
Toni & Guy Conical Wand
Charles Worthington Brush Out Strong Hair Spray
Lee Stafford Messed Up Spray Wax
 
Grey Crochet Fringe Top - Forever21
Lace Bodysuit - H&M
Cream Dress - TKMaxx
 

Saturday 18 April 2015

Well Loved Products.





To start off my recently loved products, I need to give Sienna X a mention - they recently sent me their Q10 Bronzing Mousse, which I'm overdue to do a review on and I've absolutely fallen in love. It's not overwhelmingly dark when you first apply it, it looks like milk chocolate but it smells incredible and blends like a dream. If you're a lover of fruity scents and a fake tan addict, you need to give this a try - it leaves you a really lovely, realistic colour and fades without patching. Base wise, I've returned to an old flame, Estee Lauder Double Wear, it stays put, looks flawless, covers all and doesn't leave me a greasy mess which is all I ask for in a foundation. Recently I've taken to mixing it in with a luminous base product for an added glow. To conceal I've been enjoying the Chanel Perfection Long Lasting Concealer. This stuff is amazing, it has an almost whipped texture which means it blends in to nothing whilst covering a multitude of sins - it doesn't settle in to any fine lines or cake up during the day. To set my base I've been loving the Bourjois Healthy Mix powder which is light and doesn't leave you looking overly matte.
When it comes to eyes, I never stray from my old faithful Mac Paintpot in Soft Ocre, it's just the best thing ever, if you don't have it - you need it. I've not been in to eyeshadow lately, instead opting for just a matte cream shade, which you can find absolutely everywhere. I still love my liquid liner, I've recently discovered Soap & Glory's Supercat Eyeliner Pen which is fool proof to use. For lashes, the latest mascara from Mayelline - the Lash Sensational is a big winner for me, it has a rubber wand with teeny tiny teeth that grab every lash and you can really build drama. It also doesn't smudge under the bottom lashes which is a common issue for me. I've returned to white eyeliner on the waterline, I use Mac's but you can pick them up from everywhere - this or light beige shade.
When it comes to finishing touches, I've fallen for the Anastasia Beverley Hills Contour Kit which I wasn't a fan of when I first got it. I now fully appreciate its worth, I see the light. I love the pale yellow for setting around the eyes, the shimmery shade for highlighting and a mix of all three contour shades to sculpt and add warmth around my temples, nose and cheeks. When it comes to lips, I still love a matte or satin finish - I'm not interested in a gloss. I absolutely adore Mac's Faux lipstick which is the perfect lip shade, sometimes I highlight the centre of my lip with Fleshpot too just to add dimension.

I also need to mention the Body Shop Body Sorbet moisturisers, they smell delicious, hydrate without the hideous sticky feeling and did I mention - they smell DELICIOUS?! I've also been loving DKNY's Dreamsicle perfume which is peachy, fruity goodness in a bottle - if you love sweet scents give this a try as it's limited edition. Other sweet smelling lovelies worth a mention are Nina Ricci's Les Delices de Nina perfume, which has the tackiest bottle but the most gorgeous scent, the latest Escada release, Turquoise Summer is also a winner.   
What've you been loving recently?

Yves Rocher Serum Vegetal review.


*Yves Rocher have been a well loved brand of mine for a while now. Their Sexy Pulp mascara has been a firm favourite ever since I discovered it through GlossyBox and their fragrances have been repurchases for years now. The brand recently contacted me about trying their latest skin care product, the Serum Vegetal line which has a Day and Night version. This product claims to help rebuild skin to regain plumpness, so I've been trialling it for the last few weeks so I can share with you my thoughts.
First impressions of the packaging is that it's simply done, but looks expensive and high quality. The base is made of glass which does dampen things if you travel often but to display in your bathroom - they're a winner. Upon reading the packaging, here are some of the claims it makes:
Even deep wrinkles are significantly corrected
Skin regains plumpness and appears firmer
Skin is hydrated throughout the day thanks to the product’s smoothing texture, which provides an excellent base for makeup. Plus with Plumping Night Care skin appears firmer and more toned when you wake up in the morning. Skin is intensely nourished thanks to the product’s corrective balm texture.
I've been using both as suggested, morning and night and there's definitely a difference between the two. As you'd probably imagine the Night serum has a thicker consistency and leaves your skin feeling completely nourished. It does leave a slightly oily residue on the skin, which I do find a little overwhelming for my oily/combination skin so I do have to use it sparingly. I do notice in the morning my skin looks rejuvenated and in better condition. The Day and Night serum both contain Mesembryanthemum crystallinum - they call it the Life Plant - which stimulates protein in the skin to combat wrinkles. For dual action they also add in Orzya, a botanical extract, that boosts skins radiance. There's a lot of Scientific long words behind all of it but basically, they're aiming to refresh, rehydrate and stimulate your skin. Prolonged use will ideally smooth the texture of your skin and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. The packaging claims that this is a product that should be used by anyone over 25, I'm 24, close enough. I'm luckily without any noticeable wrinkles so far, apart from a stubborn line on my forehead from being a sarcastic, eyebrow raising teenager, and this hasn't vanished - although after a few weeks of using both products it wasn't as noticeable and my skin looks like it's been refreshed, plumped and hydrated. All a bonus in my book. I think ideally I'd have to get my mum to give these a good go to give proper results on the wrinkle reduction front - sorry mum, but if you're after preventative skin care or want a hydrating day and night serum - these are well worth a try. Plus they're currently on offer, together for £29, they both contain 30ml. If you're picky about scents, you can rest assured that these have a light, non offensive fragrance that you barely notice.
Yves Rocher Serum Vegetal offer - you also get a free gift when you place an order with Yves Rocher.